IoT power consumption testing

Verify and optimize your ultra-low-power IoT design with Rohde & Schwarz test solutions to achieve a longer battery life.

Wireless IoT devices serve as a basis for a large number of IoT applications. Battery-powered devices can be easily installed anywhere and are small, robust and easy to use. Depending on the application and use cases, absolute battery life requirements can range from tens of hours for wearables such as smart watches to tens of years for smart meters and environmental sensors. What all these applications have in common is the need to maximize battery life in order to save costs, improve the customer experience and meet regulatory requirements.

IoT power consumption testing I battery lifetime

Low-power design challenges

Designing appropriate hardware and software is key for low-power devices, for example implementing optimal power consumption in active mode, but also deep sleep modes or short startup/shutdown phases. Power consumption also strongly depends on the use of power saving features, application behavior and interaction with the wireless network. Particularly IoT devices that use wireless low-power technologies (LP-WAN) such as LTE-M or NB-IoT require best-in-class designs. They also need to consider all aspects affecting the power consumption of the operational modes and features like PSM, eDRX or CE.

Your IoT test challenges

Device and application developers, network operators and IoT service providers require very accurate power measurement solutions with a high dynamic range – from a few microampere to several ampere. There is also a need for long-term measurements covering the different operational modes and various network configurations.

Benefits of Rohde & Schwarz IoT test solution

Accurate power consumption measurements correlated with activities on the device’s digital and analog channels, buses or RF interface
Long-term power measurements with a high dynamic range linked to signaling events of wireless and IP networks
Power consumption tests and analysis in an emulated, well-controlled network environment

R&S®CMW with R&S®RT-ZVC multi-channel power probe

The perfect solution for battery life optimization: the R&S®CMWrun sequencer software tool together with the R&S®CMW500/290 network emulator and the R&S®RT-ZVC multi-channel power probe.

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R&S®RT-ZVC multi-channel power probe

Deep-dive power analysis and highly accurate measurements on up to eight power channels time-correlated to other scope channels when connected to R&S®RTE/RTO/RTP multi-domain oscilloscopes.

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R&S®NGL200 power supply series

Ideal power supply to power IoT devices and other battery-operated devices for testing and allowing easy analysis of actual power consumption.

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Free download: Power saving methods for LTE-M and NB-IoT devices

This white paper describes the possible power saving methods for LTE-M and NB-IoT devices and gives a guideline of their applicability.

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Webinar: The smart way to evaluate and optimize low-power IoT designs

Battery life optimization in IoT devices with the multi-channel power probe application note

Application note: Battery Life Optimization in IoT devices with the Multi-Channel Power Probe R&S®RT-ZVC02/04(A)

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Application note: IoT power consumption measurement

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